Nant Cwm Du Wildcamp

BRECON BEACONS

WILDCAMP

Nant Cwm Du Wildcamp

Saturday 14 September 2013

Idrove up from Devon to meet with friends Brian and Creag at the Storey Arms car park in the Brecon Beacons for a quick overnight wild camp. I had planned a week in Snowdonia, staying at the Plas Plas Curig Hostel in Capel Curig, when the idea of a quick wild camp was suggested so I was more than happy to leave a day earlier to fit this in en route.

Brian was leading this route so all Creag and I had to do was follow and enjoy the company and the scenery. I had not even had time to look at the map and see where we were going or where the camp would be but we trusted Brian completely had so had no concerns whatsoever.

From the car park, Brian led us along the Beacons Way path. The path heads up on a gradual slope to a height of about 500m and along the top of Craig y Fro towards Craig Cerrig-gleisiad.

The weather was not perfect, there were plenty of grey clouds about but we had clear views across to Pen y Fan and beyond.

The Beacons Way then takes a sharp left and heads south-west to Craig Cwm-du but we continued straight on and into the Graig Cerrig Gleisiad Nature Reserve and then on to the summit of Fan Frynych (629m) which is a Nuttall. The weather was not perfect, there were plenty of grey clouds about but we had clear views across to Pen y Fan and beyond.

After our coffee stop, we headed southwest and down the valley for a short distance along an easy path before Brian headed due south and down a steep section towards a stream sitting on the floor of the valley. We stopped for a coffee and a snack, we had not really walked far or needed anything but it just seemed like a good place to stop and admire the views. I think our packs were all a little heavier than we had imagined also!

I had packed my bivvy bag and a tent just in case the weather was really bad but as we started to get the camp ready the late afternoon sun had come out and the breeze had gone. We followed the stream for a short distance and eventually found a nice spot to make camp next to the stream.

I laid out my bivvy bag, inflated my Thermarest and put the mat and sleeping bag inside the bivvy bag. Job done in less than 5 minutes. Time to help the other’s stake out their tents before getting a brew going.

We sat and talked and watched the sun falling in the sky and as we started to think about making some dinner, somebody, I think it was Brian, produced a bottle of scotch – perfect!

The sunset that evening was fantastic, I tried to take a photo but I just do not think I did it any justice, but there, at that moment, it was fantastic.

As darkness came we went to bed and I lay in my bivvy bag watching the sky. My bivvy bag has a net section at the top so I can keep the insects out but still watch the sky at night. It was cloudy but the moon was visible in the sky.

At some point during the night, I awoke to a clear sky. The stars were absolutely amazing. There were still clouds high in the sky but a strong wind seemed to carry them away quickly and there was only a gentle breeze on the ground.

In the morning we awoke to a grey and windy day. The threat of rain was enough to make us break camp quickly and head out of the valley without lingering for too long.

Brian took us on a route that followed the stream up a steep slope and eventually to a small waterfall and as we made our way back to the edge of Craig Cerrig-gleisiad the rain had found us and the drizzle began to fall.

We followed an exceptionally steep and slippery path down over the nose of the hill just to the east of the crags with the A470 below us. With large and heavy rucksacks this was hard on the knees and took more than a little time and care to negotiate but eventually, we made it to the bottom and on to the road.

We head south for a short distance before taking a path through a field and down on to the Taff Trail, a wide and easy track, which we followed all the way back to the Storey Arms and our cars.

By now the rain was a little more than drizzle so we rewarded our efforts with tea and burgers from the snack wagon that resides in the lay-by.

It had been the perfect start to a week of adventure.

David Welch – View Profile

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